Vehicle-wheel.



PATENTED 111111.11, 190s.

N. SGHENK.

VEHICLE WHEEL.

APPLIGATION FILED 111:0. 22, 190s.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

WITNEssEa PATBNTBD AUG. 4,1903.

N. SCHENK. VEHICLE WHEEL.

APPLICATION FILED DBO. 22, 190-6.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

INvENToR NICHOLAS SCHENK, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

VEHICLE-WEEE L.

Specification of. Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 4, 1908.

Application tiled December 22, 1906. Serial No. 349,039.

To all whom it may concern:

Be 1t known thaLI, Nicnon-xs SCHENK, a

citizen of the United Sta-tes, and resident of Sb. Louis, Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in VehicleiVheels, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to vehicle wheels, and'particularly to that type in which an vin'iiated cushion is arranged between a hub section and a rim section that are adapted to move relatively to each other in a vertical plane.

One object of my invention is to provide a wheel of the t3 e referred to in `which either the rim section or the hub section is provided with a plurality of adjustable members that bear Upon the inflated cushion at several different points.

Another object of m invention is to provide a wheel in which the rim section is formed in a. novel manner.

Other desirable features of my invention will be hereinafter pointed out..

Figure 1 is a cross sectional view of a wheel constructed in accordance with myinvention; F ig. 2 is a. vertical sectional view taken through approximately the center of the wheel; Fig. 3 is a. detail perspective view showing a portion of one of the lates of the hub section; Fig. 4 is an enlirged detail sectional View of one of the rollers that is used for transmitting the rotary movement of the hub section to the rim section; Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of the adjustable bearing member which engages the intiated cushion; Figs. 6 and T are detail perspective views showing modiiied forms of bearing members; and Figs. S and 9 are enlarged sectional views illustrating the manner in which the bearing members snown in Figs. 6 and 7 are arranged in position.

Referring to Figs 1 and 2 of the drawings which illustrate the preferred form of my invent-ion, 10 designates a hub mounted upon a shaft or axle 11. The hub 1' is provided with a central iiange or enlarged portion 12 having a. plurality of recesses 13 formed'in its peripherv. Around the portion 12 of the hub isflocated apneiunatic tube or cushion l provided on its inner surface with a pluraiity of lugs or projections 15 that rest within the recesses 1? formed in the portion 12 of the hub and thus nrevent the pneumatic tube from creeping on the hub.

` Pairs of plates 16 and 17 are connected to the end portions of the hub, and slidingly mounted between these pairs of plates are plates 18 and 19 which form part of the rim section of the wheel, said plates cooperating with each other to retain the hub section and rim section in vertical alinement and also forming a casing for the pneumatic tube 14. The plates 18 and 19 are bent inwardly toward each other at the point indicated by the reference numeral 20 in Fig. 1.. For a. short distance outwardly from the point 20 the plates 1S and 19 contact with each other and are riveted together. The plate 18 is provided at its outer edge with a iian c 21 which forms half of therim of the w eel; and the other half of the rim is formed by a separate plate 23 provided with a portion 22 which extends inwardly and is secured to the plates 18 and 19.

A lurality of openings 25 arcformed in the pihtes 18, 19 and 23 to reduce the weight of the wheel and also permit the operator to manipulate the adjustable bearing members hereinafter described. Thcsebcaring members consist of rollcis 29 mounted in brackets 28 that are provided with threaded stems 27 which are journaled between the lates 18 and 19 and provided with nuts 26 w lich bear against the edges of the openings 25, as-

shoivn in Fig. 2. By manipulating these nuts the rollers can be moved toward and away from the center of the wheel to carry them into and out of Contact with the neumatic cushion 14. sshown in the rawings, a plurality of these bearing members are arranged around the periphery of the pneumatic cushion so that certain of said caring members may be moved into engagement with the pneumatic cushion for a certain length of time and then moved out ofengagement with the cushion and a different group or set of the bearing members be moved into operative position so ns to prevent excessive wear on the cushion as would be apt to occur if the bearing mcmbels engaged the cushion always at thc same points.

In Fig. 2 I have illustrated four of the Abearing members as being in engagement threaded s Aee with the pneumatic cushion but it will, of course, be understood that any desired number of the bearing members could be moved into operative position. The rotary movement ofthe hub section is transmitted to the rim section orvice versa by means ofrollers 31 mounted o'n shafts that are journaled in the plates 18 and 19, said rollers being arranged in elongated recesses 30 formed in the plates 16 and 17, said elongated recesses permitting the rim sect-ion and hub section to move relatively to each other in a vertical )lane but causing them to rotate together. t will, of course, be understood that this same result could be accomplished in various other ways without departing from the spirit of myinvention. The plates 18 and 19, of couise, are provided at their centers with enlarged openings to provide for the movement of the hub section,

and for prevent-ing dirt and other foreignsubstances from entering said openings and thus. coming 1n contact with the lnternal mechanism of the wheel, Ihave provided cover disks 32 mounted on the hub and having their edges bent inwardly to contactwith the outer surfaces of the plates 18 and 19, as shown in Fig. 1. -Between the flanges 2l and 23, which form the rim of the wheel, is ar ranged a wooden core or felly4 34 suitably secured in position and provided with a rubber tire or tread 33.

In Figs. 8 and 9 I have shown modified forms of bearing members which, if desired, may be substituted for those shownvinFig-2. In the formshown in Fig. 8 each of the okes which carry the rollers is ro'vided with two in Fig. 9 the roller is sup orted by a pivotally mounted yoke provi ed with an adjusting shank 27. From the foregoing it will be seen that when rotar movement is imparted to the hub the rolieis 31 and cooperating recesses 30 in the plates 16 and.17, will transmit said movement to the rim section, or if the power be applied to the rim section the coperating' shoulders androllers will transmit the movement of the rim section to the hub section, thereby enabling the wheel to be used on a car employing an axle drive or one in which the drive chain passes over a sprocket on the rim section ofthe wheel. As the rim section has only a few separated points of contact with the'pneumatic cushion the shocks and jars to which the rim section of the wheel is'v subjected as it passes over obstructions in the road will be absorbed or taken up by the pneumatic cushion in substantially thesame manner that a pneumatic tire absorbs a shock when it passes over an obstruction. Furthermore, the bearing members are adjustable and can be actuated without dismantling the wheel. y

anks 27, and 1n the form shown I claim 1s:

1. A vehicle wheel comprisin a hub, an inflated tube located u on said lub, plates located on each side ofp the inflated tube, a solid rubber tire supported by the plates, rollers carried by the lates to be adjusted to Having fully described my invention, what .contact with the tu .e and means for imparting motion to the rim to co-act with the movement of the hub, substantially as speci-v fied.

2. A device ofthe class described comprising a hub, a rim, a tire of solid material carried by the run, an inflated tube mounted upon the hub and lecated between said hubV pair`o plates located on each end ofthe hub,

a pair of plates t located between the first mentioned plates, the said plates bent inwardly act-ing as spokes to support a tire, a plurality of contacting rollers sup ortedbetween said plates and arranged to e brought in contact with the periphery of t inflated tube, rollers carried by the plates whereby motion is imparted to the rim by the revolution of the hub, and plates to prevent foreign matter from entering between the said plates,

substantially` as specified.

4. A device ofthe class described comirising a hub, a tire, an inflated tube locate between the hub and tire, a air of plates Secured to and located on eac end of the hub, a pair of plates forming the sides of said wheel each being bent inwardly and terminating in a rrn, a plurality of rollers located between said plates and means for adjusting said rollers to contact with the iniiated tube,

and means for imparting motion between the hub and rim, substantially as specified.

5. A device of the class described, comprising a wheel having a hub and a 'run detachably connected, an infiated tube located' upon the hub, a series of plates incasing the inflated tube, and a plurality of contacting.-

rollers adjustably carried by the plates and arranged to be brought in contact with the pneumatic, tube, substantially as specified.

6. A wheel comprising a hub sec-tion, a rim section, an inflated tube mounted on the hub section, means for preventing said tube from rotating relatively to the hub., a plurallty of bearing membeis separated from each other and interposed between the rim and the inlat-ed tube, and means for moving said mem` f 5 i i l i bers into and out of engagement with -the movement of said sections; substantially as tube, substantially as described. l described.

7. A wheel comprising a hub section and In testimony whereof, I have signed my a rim secr-ion provided with telescoping neme to this specification, in presence of two 5 pats, 1an infieted tulbe surroundirg the hub. subscribing wltnesses.

o t e iu section, nearing mem ers inter- T' posed between said tube and the rim, shoul- BICHOLAS SCHENK ders formed on the plates of one section, and Witnesses: cooperating rollers carried by the plates of ALFRED A. EICKS, 10 the other section to prevent relative rotative WALTER C. STEIN. 

